the Void
by Insert-Name-Here01
Summary: After a tragic accident, a certain miracle quickly becomes a curse; will Mabel have the heart to end it? (T for language and violent themes in the future)
1. Chapter 1

As Mabel held Dipper in her arms, she could see the effects slowly take place. His body was still cold but became less stiff as his heart began to beat again. He moaned in pain as his neck popped back into place. His eye's flittered open and he looked up to see Mabel with a tear streaked face, "What….what happened?" he said, spitting out small bits of moss.

"Thank God you're alive!" Mabel exclaimed, hugging him tightly. Dipper sat up and rubbed his head, he had an awful headache," So… exactly what happened?"

Mabel looked up at the old dead tree, its missing branch like a scar, "Well… Uh, you tried getting to the top of that tree, see?" She said pointing, "It's because we're lost and you thought you could get higher ground to see our way out, but you fell and… And…and died" Mabel managed to choke out; she was still in shock. Rubbing his neck, Dipper looked quizzically at her, "And I'm alive how?"

"Well, there's this thing… it's in your book. It was weird, but it had to be done-"

"What was it?"

"Well, it was this thing-"

"Mabel, you're repeating yourself."

"It was a moss or something. I found it in a hidden cemetery and…and"

"Wait; moss, Cemetery?" Dipper was confused, he faintly remembered their trip, and he'd forgotten what he had done that whole day, but the thought of the cemetery seemed familiar.

"Remember? In your book there was this cemetery, but it wasn't a real one. There's this abandoned house and there were kids buried there and you wanted to find it for Lord knows why and we went hiking to find it and—"

Dipper took Mabel by the shoulders, "Calm. Down. You need to breathe; I kind of remember the hike and I remember falling and then there was a void." Dipper gingerly touched his neck, remembering the sound of the swift crack as he made contact with the earth, "But what was in the cemetery?"

"Well, I looked in your book; your book has everything to know about everything weird. And that's where it was. It was how to bring stuff back to life… Kind of like-"

"-Necromancy?"

"Yeah… and it said I had to use the moss that grew over children's graves… and, I found them. Well I must have because I found the old house and there were rocks piled up in the back." Mabel looked at Dipper with concern. There was one question that hung heavy in the air, and Dipper knew what it was, "I didn't have enough time to find out."

"What?"

"There's an afterlife. A lot of voices… kind of murmuring, but I was only there for a split second"

"But you were dead for a good ten minutes"

Dipper shrugged, "Than that must say something about the afterlife. Besides, I knew you were dying to find out" He said with a slight smile. Mabel hugged him again, smiling herself.

It was dark when they finally reached home; the two had left as soon as they could. Any allure the abandon house had once held was immediately lost. The Twins looked awful as they walked through the doors; Dipper looking even worse (considering what he had just gone through). Both were caked in mud and grime and decorated with small cuts.

"Whoa; what happened to you two? You looked like you tried wrestling a bear and lost" Mabel ignored Grunkle Stan's comment and walked past him, ascending the stairs, "I'm going to take a shower" Dipper could tell she was still in shock, "What's wrong with her?"

"Just exhausted, that's all"

Dipper got himself some water and sat at the table; it felt good to sit down, especially in an air-conditioned building, "So what happened?" Stan asked casually, taking a sip from his beer can.

"Oh, you know; the typical getting lost in the woods, typical muddy hell hole—"

"-What was that?"

"Nothing" Dipper quickly left the table, disappearing up the stairs. Sure, hell wasn't that bad of a word, it just never crossed Stan's mind to think Dipper would say that. He shrugged it off; he didn't really care, he knew he said hell when he was around twelve or thirteen.

Closing the door, Dipper fell onto his bed and kicked off his shoes; not caring that his sheets were getting dirty. He felt cranky; no, the word seemed to demeaning and childish. He felt ill-tempered and just plain ill. His neck throbbed as if he slept on it funny, he had an awful headache and his stomach swayed with nausea. What made it worse was the small murmuring that probed the back of his mind. He was scared to sleep, afraid that he might fall closer to the void. The one void he was almost enveloped in. But the hike and the strange events left him exhausted and he slowly drifted off to sleep; the soft voices like a lullaby.


	2. Chapter 2

Mabel woke up late and felt groggy and hot. The window was open allowing the summer heat to permeate the room with its dreadful humidity. The heaver blankets had been kicked off when she was sleeping and her hair and sheets clung to her sweaty skin. She rolled over groaning, thinking back to the horrifying events that took place yesterday. She had almost lost Dipper; but he's here, she thought comforting herself. She looked across the room at her brother's empty bed. Panic began to rise; he was here, wasn't he!? She remembered everything, Dipper was alive, and he had to because she read everything in the book and did everything it said. She went towards that creepy house and over the children's graves and did everything it said to do! He couldn't be dead, "Dipper!" she called out, scrambling out of bed," Dipper!"

Mabel ran down the stairs and almost knocked over Grunkle Stan who was already dressed for the day, "Whoa! Slow down there kid—"

"I can't find Dipper!" She said panicked. Just then, the back door opened and Dipper stepped through, his shoes slightly muddy, " Mornin' Mable, Grunkle Stan"

"Where were you!?" Mabel said, hugging him. Awkwardly, Dipper patted her back not really sure what to do except answer, "I was just out for a walk, that's all." Mabel continued to cling to Dipper who then had to the pull her off of him, "Relax, Mabel. I'm not gonna die or anything."

"Die?" She said weakly. Mabel laughed the fake kind of laugh to sound casual (it was weak and shallow and nervous). Grunkle Stan looked down at his watch, "You might want to get dressed, I'm going to be opening the store soon."

"Right, ha ha, yup gonna get dressed." She slowly went up the stairs, feeling both relief and anxiety.

"You'll never be ready at that pace and remember: time is money!" Mabel hurried up the stairs, hearing Grunkle Stan continue, " Today's gonna be good, I just got a new exhibit in! Can't wait for those poor suckers…" Mabel turned the corner and Stan and Dipper faded into the background. She felt gross and upset and wanted to shower.

Mabel allowed the cool water run down her face; you got to relax, Mabel. She tried telling herself, you just can't panic like that, Gruncle Stan is going to think something's up, heck, he probably knows something's up already! She thoroughly rinsed her hair, careful not to get the shampoo and conditioner in her eyes. Dipper is alive, it was a freak accident, _freak_ , she repeated. A lot of freak things happen in this town… the voice of doubt whispered in the back of her mind. Mabel! She scolded herself, turning the squeaky knob so that the water stopped, just… just be okay…. He's not leaving again, no more climbing trees, no more moss, no more nothing! It's over, he's alive. So stop doubting. Just. Stop.

Mabel took a deep breath and exhaled, stepping out of the shower she dried off and quickly got dressed, feeling much better than before. It was far too hot for sweaters and she decided to throw it in her bedroom before going down stairs. It was still too early for the huge crowd of tourists and customers to arrive, so Mabel made herself comfortable at the kitchen table. She took an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it only to spit the piece back out in disgust. Inside, the apple was completely rotten, "Gross…" she muttered.

She looked back at the bowl to see all the fruit bruised and moldy. Had it been like that seconds before? She could hear Dipper snicker from the other room as if he had just played a practical joke. Getting up, Mabel tossed the apple into the garbage can. Feeling a bit irritated, she took the bowl of fruit and dumped it as well. Was Grunkle Stan so cheap that he had to buy rotten fruit, "Grunkle Stan!" she called out, her voice sounding more bitter than she intended, "The fruit's all rotten and gross! Thanks for buying us some nice food!"

Gruncle Stan just grunted as he continued to count the cash in the lobby, only making Mabel even more irritated. She sighed, "Well I wonder what else we have." She looked through the rather bare cabinets and found stale cereal. Opening the fridge she grabbed the milk and poured the cereal into a bowl. Opening the milk, she poured the chunky, sour gelatin all over the only cereal they had left, "Oh come _on_!" She looked at the milk carton and then at her bowl, is everything _sour_ in this house? The Count Chocula on the cereal box smiled happily back at Mabel, "I hate you." she growled, she had to take her annoyance out on someone. With nothing left, she grabbed some bread and went to the Lobby; Soos and Wendy had already taken their positions.

The best thing about working at the Mystery Shack was how laid back it was. Sure, working in a store was pretty boring, but it wasn't hard and the breaks were great. It was only five minutes till lunch break and the Twins were getting restless. Mabel spun on a chair that was behind the desk, "I'm soooooo boooorrrreeeed." She groaned. Her bad mood she had earlier that morning had somewhat dissipated, but still hovered over her. She glanced at the clock, "Only five more minutes!"

"Don't have a heart attack, now" Wendy teased as she flipped through the magazine. It didn't spark any of her interest at the moment and she gave up on it. Placing it back beneath the counter, she propped her elbows against the counter with her chin resting on her hands, "I'm bored too." She looked at the clock and shrugged, "We got three minutes, not like anyone would notice if we left now."

Mabel shrugged, sure, it was just three minutes left but leaving would be kind of like lying; and she hated lying, "I'll cover for you." She said, feeling a bit guilty about her complaining earlier that morning. She had to make up for it somehow, even if no one really heard her, "Besides, it's only three minutes." Wendy shrugged, "Thanks, Kiddo." and walked out the door, knowing that Stan and the others were looking at the latest fake mystery in the back.

Dipper sighed, "This is boring. Wanna take a hike when we're done?"

Mabel shrugged, "I think I want to take a break from hiking."

"What? You mean no more old houses? What about getting lost and climbing trees? C'mon, you know it was fun."

"No it wasn't!" she snapped, "You scared me half to—"she stopped.

"Death?" Dipper finished with a snicker.

"What are you doing? You're acting as if it's no big deal! And you're making jokes out of it! _Jokes_"

"Relax…" Dipper said with a shrug, a faint smile playing on his face, "I'm alive now; what could possibly be worse?"

Mabel sighed and put her head in her hands, "I know, it's that I'm just scared…"

"I know."

Mabel looked up at the clock and then at her stomach which growled in hunger, "Hey, Gruncle Stan still has to go grocery shopping. Wanna go eat at the Diner?"

"Sounds good to me."

Inside the Diner wasn't that much cooler than outside, but it was better than nothing. Sitting down at a booth beneath the ceiling fan, the twins took their order which was ready in no time. Lazy Susan managed to quickly flick a fly off of one of the grilled cheese sandwiches before the two had time to notice. Two huge glasses filled with water were placed down before them along with the platters, "Enjoy, oh, and tell your Gruncle Stan I said 'hi'" the twins thanked her and she promptly left, off to go tend to some other person or problem.

Dipper sat hunched over staring out the window; he was hungry, but he couldn't eat. He noticed _everything_. Several flies buzzed loudly in his ear even though they were several booths down. There was the constant din of chatter, like a rhythmic but loud ocean. And the forks and knives, how they scraped across each plate, the noise was awful. People chewed loudly, or softly; it didn't matter because he could hear it all and it was nauseating.

Mabel looked at Dipper worried, "Hey, are you okay? You look sick."

"I think I'm going to be sick." He muttered, "I'll be right back." Getting up he quickly walked to the bathroom. Mabel finished her sandwich and her cup of water while he left. All she felt that day was stress and worry and it showed. Maybe it's just side effects, she thought, it'll go away in time…

The boys' bathroom was dark and grimy and the lights that constantly flickered were filled with dead flies. Dipper went to one of the stalls, not really wanting to touch the disgusting toilets. Instead, he leaned against the stall and hovered over the toilet, waiting to puke. But it never came; which was probably worse than actually puking. The noise from the diner was replaced by the low buzzing of the lights, but it wasn't as unbearable.

The vents, with a rather large bang and what could be compared to a cough, started up. As it circulated, Dipper walked towards the sink and turned it on, washing his hands and splashing the cool water on his face. The ventilation became louder and rusty, like the building itself was breathing. Breathing hot, rotten breath right down his back; the light flickered and Dipper spun around to find nothing but empty, grimy stalls. No one was there, yet instinct told him otherwise.

Uneasiness quickly replaced his nausea and he got out of the bathroom as quick as possible. He quickly grabbed Mabel by the arm and began dragging her out of the diner, "Hey? What gives?" She asked. As they got out of the Diner, Dipper released his tight grip, a red hand mark making itself visible on Mabel's arm.

"What happened?"

Dipper shrugged, "I just needed some fresh air, that's all" Mabel tried dismissing the odd behavior. Instead, the two walked back to the mystery shack in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

[CHAPTER THREE]

"What happened back there?" Dipper only shrugged, "You know what?" she said with a wide grin, showing off her braces, "I know what would cheer you up!" She grabbed Dipper's arm and ran to the back of the mystery shack to a small dog house like structure, "Waddles!"

The pig lazily got out of the pig pen at hearing Mabel's voice. Waddles had been subjected to living outside ever since he got into Gruncle Stan's money and ate half his profits he made that day. Not only that, but the animal had been getting larger as summer progressed and they really couldn't keep him in the house. Mabel was upset at first but quickly got over it.

She squatted down and scratched behind Waddles ears who grunted in satisfaction. Dipper couldn't help but frown, stupid thing is disgusting, was his first thought. What? Dipper, come on, you love Waddles. He's cute, not gross… He just, that stupid squealing, and that smell… I hate him but I'd love to shut that trap of his…

Dipper felt conflicted over the dumb animal, he didn't mind the creature before but now he found it revolting. In fact, he's been irritated with more people; he noticed Lazy Susan and that fly, Mabel was too clingy and trying too hard, Gruncle Stan too cheap… He couldn't help but notice everything bad about everything else and he hated them for it. It was different than being pessimistic because instead of skulking, he wanted to do something about it…

"Dipper? Aren't you gonna pet Waddels?"

"Oh." Dipper was pulled from his thoughts as he walked towards the animal, okay Dipper, you're going to pet him and it won't be that bad. As he drew closer, the animal began to squeal and backed up against Mabel, "Oh come on." Dipper found the animal's fear amusing and a grin spread across his face, "I'm not _that_ bad" The pig went to turn and flee, but Mabel held onto the animal, "Come on, Waddles" she grunted as the animal struggled, trying to pull free.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you or anything." He chuckled. Dipper went to pet the animal, but the struggling proved to be too much and the pig broke free. It instantly ran back to the safety of its small pig pen. That's right you little shit, run away. Mabel looked down at her shirt that was dirtied from the pig's mud and sweat, "Gross… I have no idea what came over him." She frowned and looked up at dipper who only shrugged, a smile spread across his face.

"He'll get over it." He said

Dipper lied awake that night, unable to sleep. Rolling over, he peered at the clock which read 3 AM. Groaning, Dipper pulled his pillow over his head as if that could block the voices. They had gotten louder, but each voice spoke over the other making them incoherent and impossible to ignore, "Shut up" he muttered. He heard his sister shift and peered out from beneath the pillow. He hadn't disturbed her. After a few more agonizing, sleepless moments, the voices began to ebb away.

"Finally" He sighed. As he relaxed, small footsteps ran outside his door, "Hello?" he called out quietly, propping himself on one elbow. No answer. He brushed it off as his head playing tricks on him and lied back down. But that's when he heard it again, the same small footsteps running across the floor boards; this time, someone giggled loud enough to be heard from down the hall.

Getting up, Dipper walked towards the door, hesitant to open it. The creaking hinges seemed unbearably loud in the stiff silence that filled the house. He glanced up and down the hall to find nothing and as he was going to retreat back into his room, he heard static coming from downstairs. Sighing he walked across the creaky floorboards and down the stairs. The noise came from the TV, the white static dancing across the screen. He turned off the TV, focusing on the silence. It was nice to have a break from the constant noise, whether it was in his head or coming from others.

That's when he heard it; another giggle, crisp and light in the dark. He spun around to find nothing, surly _this_ couldn't be coming from his head. Or was it a dream? He pinched himself to make sure, the sharp pain left as quickly as it came. He went to go back upstairs when he heard the door open in the lobby. He walked towards the door and looked outside; whatever was in the house wanted him to follow.

He stepped out into the cool night and wandered around the back. Looking up, he watched the blue tinted clouds lazy drift over the sky. Sighing, he looked back up to the triangular window that was his bedroom. He longed for sleep but he knew that wouldn't be happening. He sat on the back porch, staring across the lawn unsure what to do.

_Over there._

The voice was small and childish and he quickly looked to the direction of the pig pen. He got up and walked towards the pen, the feint stench of pig and was filth unpleasant as it wafted in the air. Aimlessly wandering, he walked around the small structure and then towards the woodpile that was only a few feet away. He sat down on a log, feeling a pulling sensation in his gut as if to say: you just got up, keep walking.

Staring across from him was a hatchet sticking out from a tree stump. It was old, but still sharp and he recalled having to cut that wood earlier that day. He looked back at the rather large pile with a smidge of pride. The pig grunted in its sleep and Dipper frowned; stupid animal. He returned his attention back to the hatchet. An idea hatched in his mind, and once conceived, he couldn't stop thinking about it. Smiling, he walked over and pulled the hatchet from its resting place.

A stone hit the tin roof, the sound jerking the pig awake. Waddles stretched and was about to go back to sleep when it smelled something. Something good. It rolled over and got up, the fat creature then walked towards the opening, smelling the ground. And that's where it was, bread soaked in BBQ sauce. It was delicious and the scraps that day had been few; Gruncle Stan was awful when it came to grocery shopping. But the pig didn't pay too much attention to that; after all, Waddles was only a pig. The trail of bread led the pig into the woods. Waddles was too content with his food to notice how far the actual bread trail went.

It wasn't that deep in the woods, not that deep at all but Dipper knew the forest would eat the noise like that pig would greedily eat the bread. Dipper stuffed the plastic bag into his pocket and placed the BBQ container down. It had taken a whole bag of bread to get this far and almost half a bottle of BBQ sauce. All he had to do now was wait.

Waddles sniffed the ground, searching for more of that delicious bread. The hatchet came down with a thwack, lodging itself just below its neck. The pig squealed in pain and alarm. Dipper wrenched the hatchet out, blood gushing from the deep wound. He landed another blow on the pig before it had time to flee. And another and another till the pig was a shredded heap of blood, bones and fat. Even then Dipper continued to hack at the dead animal, enjoying the slaughter of the helpless animal far too much.

Breathing heavily and with a sadistic grin, Dipper stepped back to look at his handiwork. He went to wipe the blood that had splattered on his face, only to smear more on from his hand. He sat down, exhausted but happy. He couldn't explain the feeling or why he had it, but it was just this mean feeling that made him content. Just to hurt something brought a smile to his face. And he knew Mabel would be devastated. This only made him chuckle.

He heard more childish laughter from behind and he spun around alarmed, "Who's there?" He called out. It would be the end of him if someone spilled, telling Gruncle Stan or Mabel about this brutal incident, if it was Gideon he could use it as black mail, "It's okay." He called out, the darkness saying nothing in return, "I'm not going to hurt you" as if you prove himself, he gently placed the hatchet on the ground and kicked it aside, "See?"

The laughter again came from behind and he turned around. The pig had been dragged a foot across the forest floor; a trail of blood marked as evidence, "Hello?"

_Over here._

It was the same distinct and childish voice he had heard earlier. Turning around, he was welcomed by the same nothingness as before.

_No, over here._

_Over here!_

_Over here._

The voice repeated over and over, Dipper spun in a circle, trying to find out where it was coming from. It was the same voice but multiple had called out over the other; it seemed to now be emanating from inside his skull as if the disembodied voice penetrated and now roosted in his mind. Dipper blindly ran intent on fleeing from the chaotic voice. Plants whipped him as he ran, tearing at his hair and clothes. In the dark, he tripped over a root and fell head over heels down a steep incline. His head made contact with a rock and the world became suddenly black. The last thing he felt was the cold, strong current push him beneath the river…


	4. Chapter 4

[CHAPTER FOUR]

A strong force pulled Dipper from the river and he dragged himself across the muddy bank sputtering and coughing. He crawled toward a tree and lied down; gingerly he touched the back of his head. His hair clung to his scalp and he felt a swollen bump. Drawing his hand away revealed fresh blood. He lied still, catching his breath; I am never going to listen ever again, He thought bitterly to himself.

It was all fun until it was him who got hurt; this made him give a soft and bitter laugh . He wanted to lie against the tree and sleep, but he felt the same tugging sensation that he had before. This time it was stronger and it was hard to resist. Weary, he got up and leaned on the tree one last time before he began walking. As he walked, he constantly looked behind his back; who pulled me out of the river?

After he walked for a while, a sense of doubt seeped through the back of his mind; was he lost again? He leaned against an old, brittle tree; it had soft ivy and moss that clung to its surface. Beneath his feet was a broken limb. His tired mind focused on that; a broken limb.

That's when it hit him, he looked up and saw the tree's missing branch; this was the same tree he had fallen from. He instantly knew where he was and ran towards the direction of the house; the tugging growing stronger with each step he took.

There it was, old and strange yet intrinsic to its surroundings. Without the house the woods would have seemed empty. Slowly, Dipper walked up towards the silhouette, the features becoming more defined as he got closer.

_In here._

"oh no." He said aloud, "I'm not trusting you again, you made me go to these stupid woods. I almost drowned!" He looked through the empty door frame into the dark house; there was no way in hell that he was going to step through that door and—

_NOW._

This voice was deep and harsh, calling out so quickly it made Dipper jump, "W-what?" he stuttered.

_Come in or I'm going to have to get you._

Dipper laughed nervously, "You're just a voice in my head. How can you possibly _get_ me?" There was silence and Dipper hid his fear with a smug smile. A twig snapped from behind and Dipper turned around in alarm. More brush snapped, the noise came from far away just so that whatever was out there couldn't be seen. The noise was getting closer, the dry sticks echoing in the still night; breaking and popping.

Without hesitation, Dipper ran up the cracked concrete steps into the dark house. The foyer was small and to his immediate left was a small closet. There was another opening on the left which led to what used to be a living room. The right held another empty room and a narrow hallway stretched before him leading to the kitchen; the dining room on the right of that and the bathroom left to it. The basement door was located in the hallway on the left beneath the stairs.

With reckless abandon, Dipper ran through the dark down the narrow hallway, tripping over his own clumsy feet. With stinging elbows, he scrambled backwards and turned around to see who might be walking through the door frame; but no one came. Instead a small figure dashed across the open light (which wasn't much) provided by the door way only to disappear back into the shadows.

_Over here._

This time, the voice was the child's, the same as it had been before he entered the house. Dipper couldn't speak and resorted to shaking his head; still refusing to listen to the small child. You got me into this mess.

_You don't want him mad._

The child's voice came out as a hiss, low and scared reflecting what Dipper was feeling. His fear had reached its peak and he had no choice but to follow. He walked down the narrow hallway, the old boards groaning beneath his weight. He stopped just outside the opening of the empty room, not being able to penetrate the darkness. He looked behind him before stepping in; no turning back now.

The air, once musty and old was now static and tense. An awful smell of rot came over the room, making it almost unbearable to breath. Whatever threatened him before was there, Dipper could feel it in his bones, "What…" he coughed, "What… do you want?" the words were strangled in his throat, making it difficult to come out.

He heard a snivel; the small girl-child was still in the room, the very one who led him to this crumbling hell hole. Dipper could _feel _the figure smiling in the room, amused at what he saw in the dark.

_Change is just so fast you never see it. You can't stop it and honestly, you don't want it too._

How the hidden figure spoke was strange; it seemed to be coming from within Dipper's head yet at the same time it came from across the room. Dipper stood within the glare of the towering figure, speechless. Was he… the girl too?

_No… The girl is a being of her own, Dipper._

"But… you, the forest… and the pig… it wasn't"

_The pig was your own doing, the idea invented by you alone._

The figure chuckled, it was eerie in the quiet house; _you are a very interesting boy, Dipper. You're an introvert, slightly depressed, you see things others don't… very smart, yes and… you have a thing for Wendy, Mabel is your twin and you two are living with your great uncle Stan who goes by the nick name 'Gruncle' Stan._

"How did you know that?"

_I just do._

"What are you?"

_An angel._


	5. Chapter 5

[CHAPTER FIVE]

_Dipper, I'm the one who brought you back to life. Without me, Mabel's attempt would have been fruitless. Without me, you are nothing._

The sun was just making itself visible as Dipper woke up in the middle of the floor of the abandoned house. It was quiet and he knew it was empty. He gingerly touched the bruise that was left on his head from last night. It was all so surreal and he was uncertain if it was a dream, but the blood stained shirt and the bruise showed as evidence that it wasn't.

He smiled as he lied on the floor; last night was terrifying but he had finally found _him_. He was the answer, suddenly more things made sense. Sitting up he stretched, and looked down at what he was wearing. His bare feet where covered in mud and blood from the blisters and cuts. His shirt was still wet from the river and he was just filthy. On top of that, his hair was a matted mess. Dipper knew how to get back to the mystery shack, he had remembered the way since their last excursion. But it was determining whether or not he could get back in time.

Dipper snuck through the back door and made his way upstairs; it was now roughly six thirty which wasn't half bad; the hike was only an hour and a half long. Dipper made his way up the creaky stairs and quietly slid into his bedroom. He knew he couldn't just slip back into bed so he decided he would shower, a simple explanation would easily trick his gullible family if they woke.

Grabbing clean clothes, he went to the bathroom and stripped of his old filthy ones and stepped into the warm shower. It was quick, but it eased the tension in his muscles and the cuts and bruises stung less. Stepping out, he quickly dressed and looked down at the grimy pajamas wondering where he should discard them. Dipper balled up his clothes and made his way down the stairs and threw them in the large trashcan out back.

He was now back in his bedroom and sighed, he was _weary_ and all he wanted to do was sleep. He crawled between his now cold sheets; it felt so nice to lie down on a bed. Sighing he adjusted himself and quickly fell asleep, no voices to bother him this time.

Mabel was naturally an early bird and woke up around eight thirty. Opening her eyes, she smiled as she sighed – today is going to be a good day, she decided. She lied there for a few minutes, listening to the birds chirping outside. The weather was going to be fair that day, not hot and disgusting like yesterday. This was only going to heighten her mood. Sure, there was the _incident_, as she now referred to it, but Dipper is alive and no one knew what happened and life was now normal so she should just forget it_._

She finally got out of bed and went to wake up Dipper; if she hadn't he would have slept in really late, "Dipper." She lightly whispered, nudging her brother, "Dippy, c'mon it's time to wake up" She said a bit louder. Dipper groaned and rolled over, it was far too early for this.

"Oh Dipper, you're going to have to get up sooner or later."

Dipper didn't even reply this time and continued to try sleeping. Mabel chuckled and grabbed his blankets, pulling them from him with one sweeping movement. Dipper curled and put his head beneath his pillow, "Mabel, it's too early for this" he groaned, not opening his eyes.

Mabel noticed the blisters and small cuts on his bare feet and legs, quickly assuming that it was from the hike after the incident, "Dipper! It's time to wake up!" she shouted gleefully, trying to spread her morning sun shine to everyone; everyone being just Dipper.

"Fine." He said, giving up. He rolled on his back and looked at Mabel, "Are you happy now?" he was extremely tired from his midnight outing. Mabel smiled the kind that showed off her braces and ruffled his hair, "Not until your happy, Mr. grumpy-grumps."

Dipper recoiled and brushed his sister's hand away, scowling in irritation. She shrugged, and still smiling she skipped across the room to her dresser, "I tried" she chirped with a shrug. Mabel then grabbed her clothes and made her way down the hall, disappearing into the bathroom. There, she took a long shower and dressed, brushing her teeth. As she smiled back at herself in the mirror she noticed in the reflection and dark smudge on the tile floor. Turing around, she saw black dirty foot prints that made their way to the bathtub; she walked up to them expecting them further.

She touched the first print with her toe and it easily smeared, "Yuck." Shrugging, she ignored them and as well as the thought to clean them up too; well they're not mine, so why should I?

"Dipper!"

Dipper jerked awake, "Ohuh?" he said dumbly, still tired. He sat up and stretched, rubbing as much sleep from his eyes as possible, "Alright Mabel, I'm up." He got out of bed, "See?" Mabel smiled, "I'll see yah downstairs" She said, walking back down the hall towards the stair case.

"Yeah, yeah" he gave a rather grumpy reply and a shoulder shrug. He walked over to his own dresser and pulled out his clothes. Shutting the door he turned around and walked back to his bed where he placed his clothes. He dressed, his tiredness slowing him down. As he went to turn and leave he was struck with a sudden eerie feeling, rooting him to where he was.

Behind him the closet door creaked and the room went still; someone was in the room with him. He slowly turned around to see who might be in the closet. The door had only been slightly cracked open and there was something behind it. He hesitantly walked towards the door with an arm outstretched. He was only inches away and could hear the heavy breathing of someone, like a child who just ran, behind the door. It felt cold and as Dipper got closer, the door opened a bit further as if urging him to find out what's on the other side. He placed his hand on the freezing handle and—

"Dipper! We have Errands to run!"

He shut the door, "Coming Mabel!" he ran out of the room, snatching his shoes on the way out before he left the closet and whoever was in it behind.


	6. Chapter 6

[Chapter Six]

With a wad of cash, Dipper and Mabel hopped into the golf cart and sped off down the road; Dipper driving as usual. The dust grew in massive clouds as the cart sped faster; Dipper keeping a cool composer. Mabel felt uneasy as they sped along; this cart drove faster than the normal carts. The twins assumed Gruncle Stan got someone to get it rigged, "Uh… Dipper?" Mabel spoke up, "Don't you think you're going a bit too fast?"

Dipper gave an exasperated sigh, "No."

"What?" Mabel taken back by his blunt answer, "But…but… Dipper!" she sputtered. Dipper glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, trying his hardest to ignore her sputtering.

_Make her shut up._

Dipper was all too happy to follow the dark, distorted voice. Slamming on the brakes, Mabel jerked forward, yelling out in surprise. He turned and looked at Mabel dead in the eye, "Shut. Up." Mabel, wide eyed, could only nod back in reply. Dipper continued driving at an even faster pace than he started with as Mabel sat in nervous silence next to him.

Stepping out of the cart, the two made their way to the small town's grocery store. It was silent in the small store. Only the hum of the ceiling fans and the radio turned on low had any affect to break the silence. Walking down one of the few isles, the twins peered at the supply list. Dipper ripped it in half horizontally, giving one piece to Mabel, "You find this stuff; I'll find the other half."

Mabel only nodded and twins separated, going their separate ways. Okay, Mabel sighed, it's still a good day… Dipper's just grumpy. She looked at the list: fruit, milk, cereal, bread, BBQ sauce, bacon… Mabel grabbed a shopping basket and strolled down the empty store. It's going to be a happy day, she strained, happy.

Dipper walked down the jarred goods isle, looking at the shiny surfaces. He stopped by an empty set of jars, staring up at them with glazed eyes; he was just so tired. He looked down at his grocery list; pickles, relish, cucumbers, anchovies, beef, hotdogs. He wrinkled his nose; Gruncle Stan ate a lot of gross stuff… save for the beef and hotdogs.

Looking up, he was met with a face on the other side of the jars. The black and white figure wasn't human and was too distorted to really see its features clearly. Startled, Dipper jumped back and fell on his backside; the face disappearing as quickly as it came. Hearing Dipper call out in surprise, Mabel ran over as fast as possible, "You okay Dippy?"

Dipper looked up at the jars and then at Mabel, "Uh… yeah." She lent him a hand but he completely ignored it and got up himself. Dusting himself, he bent down and picked up his half of the list, "let's just hurry up."

The clerk, who was reading a magazine, quickly bagged their supplies (looking down at the anchovies in disgust). Mabel got to the cart before Dipper, and took position behind the wheel. Placing the bags in the back, Dipper got in and looked at Mabel. She gestured for the keys and a moment of stubborn silence followed. Dipper smiled and shrugged, "Whatever." He handed over the keys and Mabel drove the car.

"We're back, Gruncle Stan!" Mabel called out as she kicked open the front door; it was nice to make some loud noise. Dipper slid past Mabel quietly and went out the back door, leaving her to put the groceries away. Gruncle Stan walked in, smiling as his most recent group of tourists who were now exploring the junk in the main lobby. He noticed the gloomy aura that hung over Mabel as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Seeing that the tourists were occupied and Wendy had it covered behind the counter, he made his way to the kitchen to see what was up. There, Mabel was putting the small bags of groceries away, "Hey, you alright Mabel?"

Mabel plopped onto the chair, "No." she mumbled; this isn't a good day- not a good day at all. Gruncle Stan stood awkwardly a few feet away from the brooding Mabel. How the hell was he supposed to comfort a twelve year old? He had no children, so he had no idea how to handle them. Just start out with the basics, Stan. He let out a breath of air, "So… do you wanna tell me what's up?"

"It's Dipper."

Gruncle Stan pulled a chair out and sat across from her as she started to tell her problems, "Well, he's just been so mean lately, and distant too. You should have seen him at the store today!"

"Wait, what do you mean?" Gruncle Stan noticed that Mabel had been moodier the past few days. She just wasn't herself which was more visible than Dipper. He hadn't shown anything to Gruncle Stan's knowledge; the kid was naturally an introvert unlike her sister.

"Well" Gruncle Stan could tell she was hesitant, "He… when we were going to the store; you know how our cart is a bit faster than most? He was going really, really fast. And I mean really fast." She tried putting as much emphasis as she could on this aspect, "And I was kind of scared so I kept pestering him and he slammed on the brakes really hard. Dipper told me to shut up – he looked me in the eye and told me to shut up! He would never do say that to me! Let alone scare me like that."

"I see…" Stan honestly had no idea what to say.

"And he went faster than before! And he was as white as a sheet when we left the store; I mean we split up as we usually do and I think something startled him. It's just weird and I'm worried about him. Not to mention a bit hurt."

"Maybe the kid is just going through a small crisis or something. You should try talking it out with him."

Mabel shrugged, "thanks for hearing me out Gruncle Stan" she said before leaving to go upstairs. Sweater town sounds really nice right now, she thought opening her closet. In the corner was a messy pile of clean, fluffy sweaters. She bent down and began to pull out the sweaters when she noticed strange markings on the door.

She turned so that she was facing the door to inspect it more closely. They were little bloody scratch marks. Slowly, she reached out and delicately pulled a tiny fingernail that had made itself lodged in the wood, "Gross…"


	7. Chapter 7

**hey guys! sorry this chapter kind of stinks... Will get better, but I had to submit this in or I might lose the story completely :1 so enjoy (and trust me, there's action to come! :D)**

Dipper hardly made it far into the woods before his sister called his name. He stopped and contemplated whether or not to answer. She called again, and as if ignoring a telephone, Dipper turned around and continued walking. He could hear Mabel repeat his name, calling for him as her voice became more and more distant.

She gave up or he was out of earshot, it didn't really matter either way. He walked down a familiar path only known to him. He walked by Waddle's carcass that rotted in the heat, the stench only attracting more flies. Maggots burrowed in the flayed skin, or what was left that the pig held on its heap of bones. It was now dragged a few feet from where it had been, either by scavengers or something else.

Dipper knew that the something had plans in mind… a joke almost. He laughed under his breath as he continued his way. In no time he was at his sanctuary—the house. He walked up to it and stroked the old, crumbling surface like greeting an old friend. But it was still new to him, he was still slightly wary and the house itself wasn't exactly welcoming. He walked to the front door and peered in at the stillness of the abandoned building.

It was beautiful but eerie, both luring and forbidding. He looked back before he entered, the inside far darker than the woods surrounding it. The floorboards groaned above him and he breathed, allowing air once trapped to escape from his lips. He's here.

A smile was visible on his face as was the fear in his eyes; he walked towards the stairs and peered up at the ascent. Should he go up? With a puff of air, the basement door could be heard opening. Peering down the hallway, Dipper quizzically looked at the door… or were they waiting for him down there?

Mabel's hike was short lived; there was no use to finding Dipper. She shrugged, he could be anywhere. She walked back to the tourist trap she called home, thinking about what she found in their closet door. Should she tell Stan? What would Soos think of it? Wendy would just humor her and Dipper was unpredictable but at least he knew what was going on. Well, to some extent.

Mabel thought she could use a good cheering up, today didn't turn out as she wanted it to go. That's when it hit her, there was always Waddles to play with! She began walking to the pig pen; oh how she loved Waddles, he was so adorable and oinked and was just so chubby. As she drew closer, "Oh Waddles! I –"

"Mabel! Come help us out at the shack!"

It was Gruncle Stan, and his call for help sounded urgent, "Coming!" Mabel spun around and bounded up to the back door. Opening the screen door, she entered the extremely busy lobby—wow, Gruncle Stan wasn't being lazy this time. He really did need help. Little kids ran around playing tag and touching everything. Things were being knocked over, people were getting frustrated and impatient with the long line, customers needed help deciding between panther or cougar shirts and there was a strange puddle that needed to be cleaned up.

It was now dusk and Mabel gladly flipped the OPEN sign to CLOSED; Gruncle Stan was very content with their profits that day. As she did so, Dipper strolled through the door. He wore a rather cool demeanor, one that was relaxed despite his roughed look from a tiring hike. This angered Mabel, "Where were you today?" she said, all her frustrations and worry and anger bursting, "I had to work my butt off at the shack today! Do you know how busy it was!? And there's you, just strollin' right on in through the door after a nice lil' hike through the freakin' woods!"

The shack which now only held employees grew quiet. Dipper had a feint, quirky smile on his face, his eyes seemed playful almost laughing at Mabel's anger, "Do you really think I wasn't doing anything?" He said as he advanced on Mabel, "Do you think I was slacking off?" Dipper scoffed and brushed past her, "Whatever" He muttered before he disappeared around the corner and up the stairs.

Awkwardly, Soos mangaged to sweep some dust and himself out the back door to avoid the angry Mabel and Wendy just left, too tired to deal with the twins. Mabel just stood there as her brother brushed her off with the same smug look he gave her at the cart earlier that day. No, she wasn't going to have it, no way, "Now just wait one minute!" She yelled as she rushed up to catch him. Her voice sounded more desperate than angry, "What the heck is going on with you?"

Dipper continued to ignore her as he walked into their bedroom; this causing a problem in itself- there was no privacy. She grabbed a hold of his shoulder and he recoiled and swatted her hand away, "Why can't you just leave me alone" he hissed, "I already have enough to deal with"

Mabel closed the door behind him and crossed her arms, "What exactly do you have to deal with?" she asked, cocking her head.

"It's none of your damn business" he muttered, his eyes glancing at Mabel before looking towards the floor. He seemed more hunched over now with his arms crossed, and that defiant smirk became scowl. Dipper was terrible at lying and hiding secrets in general and that would always stick to him like a chewed gum wad

"Dipper, c'mon something's bugging you. Why are you so mean all of a sudden?"

Dipper shrugged and looked behind him, "I really would tell you Mabel, believe me. But… it's just that… it's…"

_I dare you, stupid boy. Spit it out, tell her._

Dipper froze and a chill ran down his spine, "Never mind; just leave me alone." He opened the door and left, leaving Mabel behind alone and worried in the bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

[CHAPTER EIGHT]

The next morning, Mabel wanted to stay away from Dipper. She was still pretty sour about their short argument. Gruncle Stan wasn't clueless, he knew something was up with the twins but he couldn't put a finger on it. He hated to see them fight and now they were staying away from each other which made things worse. He thought about taking the day off, maybe have more uncle-to-twins bonding time. They wouldn't mind fishing again, would they, or maybe a nice hike?

Yes, a hike would be great! His business was doing well and taking one day off wouldn't harm anyone. It was still too early for customers so he flipped the sign from OPEN to CLOSED. Ready for the day, Mabel had already made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. She found Gruncle Stan just finish cooking the remaining bacon before he slid them onto a plate and set the small platter down on the table.

"So what's the special occasion?" Mabel asked, brightening just a bit to see her Grucnle Stan dressed in his outdoor attire. She could sense they were going to do something fun today.

"Well, I was just thinking that it would be nice to get out of the house, yah know? So we're going hiking"

"Wow!" Mabel forced herself to act excited, "Really? I thought we were gonna go fishing again because that was pretty fun…" The hint was lost on Stan as he continued, "Yeah, I thought about that too, but hey—we already did that so why not something new? Go get Dipper and then we'll have some grub"

Mabel ran up the stairs, but stopped at the beginning of the hallway. She really didn't want to get Dipper, not today. She walked cautiously down the hallway, the window at the end allowing the morning sun to peer through. She was just outside the bedroom door and slowly began to open it, "Dipper?" she asked timidly. Peering in, she saw his sleeping figure wrapped in blankets; isn't he hot? "Hey Dippy, breakfast is ready."

"Mabel—"

Mabel spun around to see Dipper behind her, "I'm right here, and yeah, I figured by the smell of bacon" He smiled.

Then who was…? Mabel turned around to see the flat covers lying messily on his bed. Dipper tossed his PJs in the room and shut the door; he was already dressed and showered for the day. Dipper walked down the hallway humming and Mabel followed suit. It was strange to see him this content, it was good but there was something off about it.

He walked down the stairs two steps at a time and looked back up at the hesitating Mabel, "Well, are you coming?" his eyes flicked behind her and she looked back to see nothing but the blank wall, "Uh, yeah." She said, walking down the stairs more slowly.

They made their way to the kitchen and sat down with Gruncle Stan who was just finishing, "Thanks for the breakfast." Dipper chirped as he slid into his seat. Mabel did the same, but remained quiet, "You okay Mabel?" Dipper asked with false concern.

She nodded and looked down at her breakfast, "Yeah, I guess"

"Well, the hike will cheer you up" he said as he began to eat. It was hard and he had to force himself to swallow. It was just that lately, ever since the Diner incident, food had become disgusting but he had to eat it. Dipper couldn't just starve; he wouldn't be of any use. Mabel's brows furrowed, "How did you know we were hiking?"

Dipper paused as if caught off guard and then laughed, "Oh c'mon, I kind of guessed 'cause Gruncle Stan isn't wearing his suit"

With that, Gruncle Stan drank the rest of his coffee and got up, "I'm gonna pack some more stuff and we can get out of here after you guys finish."

The weather man had lied, the hateful sun beat down upon the small quartet. Soos had come along for the ride. They all sat on a rotted log in the humid forest, swatting away flies, "Who's shitty idea was this" Gruncle Stan muttered.

The break was short as they took the sips of their water bottle, "Well this bites" Mabel said, "How much longer?" by now it was too hot to wear her sweater and instead it was tied around her waist. Gruncle Stan looked at the map and back at their surroundings only to look at it again. He was struck with a sudden realization when he flipped the map over, "Alright guys, we're somewhat close to the nearest trail"

"Wait… so you're telling me we were lost the whole time?" Dipper asked

"Well, I wouldn't say lost…"

Dipper smacked his forehead and Mabel groaned in exasperation, "Oh c'mon, it isn't that bad." Stan lied. He looked down at the map, "okay, we're gonna want to go east"

"Are you sure" Dipper asked with his arms folded.

"Positive."

"Oh dude, check it out" Soos said, pointing at an old abandoned house. But not just any old house, _the_ old house. Mabel's legs seemed to have failed her as she saw the crumbling structure. Rooted to the spot the others walked onward towards the house and the welcoming shade it provided.

"Oh thank God!" Gruncle Stan exclaimed, "A house!"

"What's so great about a freaking house?" Dipper said, faking his impatience; this couldn't have been more perfect.

"What's so great? It has shade and it's probably much cooler inside! Besides, it'll beat sitting on rotted logs and tree stumps".

In truth, Gruncle Stan had gotten them even more stranded in the woods, but now that they had found a marking all hope wasn't lost. Gruncle Stan didn't hesitate to enter and Soos and Dipper followed. Mabel slowly walked up to the house, its white paint chipping terribly and stained. This couldn't be happening.

"Hey Mabel, you coming?" Dipper called back behind him.

"I'm coming." She said, her voice shaky as she went through the door, her hands trailing on the rough wall. Gruncle Stan had settled in the kitchen along with Soos, "Man, this place gives me the creeps"

"Really?" Gruncle Stan asked as he unzipped his backpack.

Soos shrugged, "I don't know, this place just doesn't… settle right, if you know what I mean."

"Not really."

Mabel sighed in relief, happy to know she wasn't the only one who felt uncomfortable in the rotting structure. Above her, the floorboards creaked, perking her curiosity. She walked up the old steps, making sure to step over the one with the large, splintered hole. Surely Dipper was up there, he wasn't seen anywhere else in the house.

As she was up the top step, she felt light breath on the back of her neck only for a quick moment. Looking behind her she saw nothing, and looked back around when Dipper jumped out yelling at her. Mabel yelped in surprise and lost her balance. As she was going to fall down the stairs, Dipper caught her by her hand as she stayed suspended and unbalanced stretched over the stairs.

"Is everything okay up there?" Stan called out.

"Y-yeah! Dipper just scared me." Mabel called down the stairs. She looked back at Dipper and he smiled as her sweaty hand began to slide out from his, "Dipper…" she whispered, "Help… h-help me up…" her voice was shaky and quiet, the step drop ever so present beneath her. A moment passed as she stared back at Dipper, his grip loosening, "Dipper!" she said a bit louder.

He pulled her up and kept her in a tight embrace, chuckling he whispered in her ear, "You really didn't think I was going to let you fall, did you?" She pushed him away from her, looking at him in disbelief, "I could have gotten seriously hurt." She said, her voice rising.

" Or worse" his smile widened and Mabel shrank back, his eyes had a playful glint to them. He took a step forward and her, a step back. She blinked; how could this be possible? She felt threatened by her own brother. He laughed and turned around, walking down the hallway, "Wanna play a game?"

Mabel hesitated before answering, "What kind of game?" she asked as Dipper disappeared into a bedroom. She had no choice to follow. Inside the room was bare and white while the others had peeling wall paper. There was an old spring bed pushed in the left corner beside a window with broken glass across from the door. Next to it was a night stand which held a lamp without a shade and on the far right of the room had a closet door. What Mabel found odd was the ceiling in that corner of the room. What was peculiar was that the rafter's had been exposed as if someone had torn the ceiling away.

She walked across the room to where the exposed rafters were and looked up. Dipper stayed where he was, watching Mabel observe the little oddity. Dipper remembered everything that happened yesterday. He remembered walking down the cellar stairs, remembered the small junk pile in the corner and what he had to do. He remembered being brought upstairs and being told about the rafters and they would be his punishment if he didn't follow through. He remembered the threat he was given if he didn't succeed in is work. If he became a coward, if he opposed, the rafters would be his fate. He would go back to the void. Except he wouldn't continue on, he wouldn't be able to find out what was beyond it because he would be stuck in it. That thing made sure he would, just like all the other children before him. Just like the first puppet, the one who failed.

"What's this?" Mabel asked, snapping him back to reality

"They're rafters." He said, pointing out the obvious.

"Well, I know that, but why are they all torn? Do raccoons live here?" Mabel enjoyed the idea of adorable vermin cuddling inside the ceiling.

"A man was hung there."

Mabel stiffened, she was right beneath the rafters, "How… did you…why?" she faltered.

"He was punished."

"For what?"

"For failing."


	9. Chapter 9

[CHAPTER NINE]

Mabel had enough, "Gruncle Stan!" She called as she walked down the hallway.

"What!? Mabel, I thought you wanted to play a game." Dipper said, catching up to her and grabbing her arm. Mabel froze in mid stride and looked back at Dipper, at her arm, and then up at Dipper again, "Let. Go. Of. Me." she said through gritted teeth, she was done with this and was freaked out. Dipper's grip tightened, "Dipper." She breathed, air puffing loose strands from her sweaty face, "Let. Go."

"But the game."

"I don't want to play your dumb game!" she barked.

"Hey!" It was Gruncle Stan from the kitchen, "Is everything okay up there?" Dipper released Mabel who then quickly descended the creaky steps, "Yeah, Lets go. I know a way back."

The rest of the hot day was spent inside; Mabel with her girlfriends chilling in the lounge room watching vampire chic flicks and Dipper isolated in the attic sitting on his favorite window seat. The crimson glass bathed him in a rich crimson, his shadow stretched long and thin on the dusty floor. He had his book open, yet he couldn't read, his mind was far too distracted and he swore he could hear the feint nose of children playing.

"What to do, what to do." He murmured, tapping the book with his fingers. Maybe a good mystery novel would satisfy his hunger. He decided against it, he just couldn't suppress that overwhelming feeling. It was a mixture of things but it boiled down to being conflicted and restless. He stared out the window; he knew he had to go back to the house soon but was considering leaving tonight. It was far too hot to go back out to those woods and the thought to do so was undesirable.

That's when movement caught his eye. Looking down, he saw his shadow stretch further. The lean silhouette slithered its way up the red washed wall, a long strand connecting it to the ceiling. It was the shadow of him being hung.

_Time is ticking._

Leaping up, Dipper wasted no time running out the door and down the stairs. He was just about to leave when Gruncle Stan piped up from the kitchen, "Hey, Dippy. Why don't you stay inside, it's getting late and it's still pretty hot out"

Dipper's stomach twisted, "Gruncle Stan, it's just going to be for a little while."

"Geeze, it's like you live in the woods. Whatever kid—just drink water." He shrugged and went back to opening a can of BROWN MEAT. Dipper ran outside and into the woods as he started the same journey he had taken before.

_Over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house we go…_

_Carefull, big bag wolf's gonna get you—_

_And blow your house down! And the three little piggies ran all the way home!_

_SHUT. UP. _Dipper thought letting out a huff. Those damn kids wouldn't zip their mouth for one minute.

"Why hey there, Dipper."

Dipper could tell by the thick southern accent that it was no other than Gideon. He turned around to see the obese kid on a separate trail connecting to his; they weren't too far out in the woods, "What the fuck do you want?"

The word took Gideon by surprise as it did Dipper, but he kept his cool demeanor. In fact, saying it felt a bit liberating. Besides, it matched is irritated state. Gideon tightened his bolo tie nervously, "Well, well, nature freak… I was just heading over to woo your sister and –ow!"

Dipper threw a small pebble at Gideon, "Just stop talking."

"But—ow! Will you quit that!?"

"Not till you stop talking"

"But—ow!"

Dipper went to stoop down to grab another pebble when Gideon pushed him over, "That will be the last time you through pebbles at me, Dipper Pines." he said with a grunt.

Dipper was pissed as he stood up, cocking his head. He said with a smirk, "Is that so, pig boy?"

"Pig…boy?" Dipper was amused to see Gideon's face flush red. Lunging at him, Dipper easily stepped aside and allowed the klutz to trip over his own feet. He kicked him in the gut and then drew Gideon's arm so that it was bent on his own back. Gideon struggled but then cringed when Dipper began to bend it further, "Ow! Stop it! Stop it!"

Dipper stopped bending Gideon's arm put kept it in the uncomfortable position it was in. Dipper observed Gideon with a faint smile, "Normally I would let you go, after all I have a schedule to keep up and I don't want to get behind. Buuuut…I may have a few minutes to spare."

"What do you mean by that?" Gideon asked with rising panic, his pudgy cheeks now covered in dirt.

"what I'm saying is that…well I was going to plan your death a bit later and it was going to be a bit faster but—"

"Wait! What!?"

"There's more than one way to make a pig squeal…"


End file.
